Disappointed

Hello Everyone, I first came to this forum in September of last year with the intention of taking control of my life again. I'm sad to say that I didn't do that and in fact I gained 16 more lbs. I'm struggling a lot with binge eating and eating out. When I wake up I have this strong drive to just get something other than whats at home (despite making promises to myself the night before). I'm on blood pressure medicine and I'm really worried about my health. I'm not sure how to curb these cravings and urges. I don't know if this is overblown or not, but I really feel like this is going to kill me soon. Any help is appreciated!

A short answer would be to seek therapy. It's what you need, and a website is not going to be sufficient to help you with that.

I'm actually in therapy for Bipolar type 1 (probably forever). I've spoken about this before with a couple therapist including a partial program with CBT techniques.

I don't know much about how therapy works but it sounds like you need to talk to someone who specializes in binge eating disorder. Until you get help with that the rest is going to continue to be a struggle for you. I wish you all the best.

I agree with all the posters. You need to seek therapy for this issue and you may need to have two separate therapist. You will also possibly need to have them work as a team.

Out of curiosity I did a search for bipolar and binge eating disorder in scholar articles. There are papers dating back to the early 90's showing a correlation between the two.

You noted that you did a partial program of CBT. Did it help? Did you see temporary benefits while in treatment? Maybe you need a more robust CBT program to work for you?

Online support is great, but maybe you need more of a group setting in real life. Have you tried Over eaters anonymous? I know there was 1 poster on here that went to those meetings & has had good results from it. Of course you might have to go to a couple of meetings in different areas to find a good fit, & some places I've heard, really don't like people who've had wls, which doesn't make any sense to me.

I understand from your other posts that you see a therapist, but you might need to see another one that specializes in eating disorders. I also think there's medication for BED. Plus those kind of therapists might be able to connect you with support groups in your area.

Head hunger is a real pain in the ass & it's always there. Try using the search button on the upper right hand side & read older posts that people have come up with suggestions on how they deal with cravings & suggestions on how they stayed on the straight & narrow path.

Don't fret, regain is very common & you've taken the first steps to get yourself back on track, so give yourself some credit for trying & reaching out for help.

Your on the right track by being in therapy. Maybe go more frequently and tell them of your struggle.

Also if you are on meds that could factor in weight gain/appetite. I'm not sure, have you had wls?

My brother-in-laws suffers from bipolar also. He found that eliminating ALL dense carbohydrates from his diet made a huge difference. He does not eat any form of starch or sugar.

I'm sure that making that transaction was not easy for him, luckily my sister has discovered many creative ways to cook that result in tasty alternatives. Sugar and starch are addictive and seductive. If they weren't none of us outdoors be here.

Definitely find and stick with counseling, as retraining the brain will be a key.

Then like the rest of us here... eat your protein first.

Good luck

It's great that you're seeing a therapist. Are you also seeing a psychiatrist? Medication might help. Have you had weight loss surgery?

Thanks for all the replies. No, I haven't had any weight loss surgery. I'm actually getting in with a new therapy team starting 7-7 and I will bring it up. Yes, head hunger is such a real problem for me. I'm thankful to have moved to a new house with a finished attic. This is good, because I put my office on the top floor, so I have to go up stairs all the time. I've noticed that I don't get as out of breath since I've moved here. Anway, thanks everyone.